Saints name Vitt head coach during Payton's suspension

April 12, 2012|Reuters

(Derick E. Hingle/US Presswire)

Joe Vitt was named the Saints' acting head coach during Sean Payton's one-year suspension scheduled to begin Monday.

Vitt, who has been suspended for the first six games of the 2012 regular season, will assume the day-to-day head coaching duties through the preseason, and then return to the sideline when he is reinstated.

"We will work through the offseason under this plan and when we get to training camp we will decide on a course of action for the first six weeks of the season, while Joe Vitt is unavailable," said Saints general manager Mickey Loomis. "We are fortunate to have a great veteran coaching staff well equipped to handle this challenge."

Vitt is entering his seventh season with the Saints, coming to the franchise along with Payton as the assistant head coach/linebackers coach. He aslo filled in during Payton's medical leave last season following a knee injury suffered during a sideline collision.

"It is important that we keep Sean Payton's philosophy front and center during this season. Sean has been the driving force behind the tremendous success our team has enjoyed during the past six years, his leadership will be missed," said Loomis. "We considered a number of great options to handle Payton's duties both internally and externally, but believe this will provide the most seamless transition for our players and our coaching staff, allowing our offensive and defensive staffs to remain intact with the fewest changes."

Payton and Loomis discussed the possibility of having Bill Parcells coach the team in 2012, but Parcells decided he didn't want to return to the sideline. Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo are potential candidates to serve as head coach while Vitt serves his suspension.

"This is about our program, and the continued success of our program," said Saints owner Tom Benson. "Joe has been part of building our success along with our Head Coach Sean Payton and our General Manager Mickey Loomis. We are looking forward to the start of the offseason program, the NFL Draft, our minicamps and training camp. We are looking forward to the start of our season, as I know that all of our fans are and we are looking forward to competing and winning a championship right here in our own city, in our own stadium this year."